Easy-open containers are in wide use today in the beverage industry. Typically, these containers are opened by either removing a pull tab has been scored in the container's lid or by removing a pressure sensitive adhesive tape that covers a pre-cut dispensing aperture. An example of the latter type of opening means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,827. These types of easy-open beverage containers are generally acceptable to consumers if the container's contents are entirely consumed or dispensed at the same time. However, if the user desires to only partially consume the contents and store the remainder, these containers are objectionable because they cannot be reclosed to keep the contents fresh or to keep foreign matter such as dust and dirt from entering the opened container. Furthermore, if the beverage contains suspended solids such as fruit pulp, the container cannot be reclosed and shaken to redistribute such solids.
Recently, there have been several attempts to provide an easy-open beverage container with reclosing means. One such attempt is generally shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,164,303 and 4,232,797, both to Waterbury. Waterbury discloses several embodiments of an articulated closure element that is attached to a container having an upstanding rim about the periphery of the container's top lid. The closure element is hingedly mounted on the container's top lid adjacent to a pre-cut dispensing aperture and has a depending plug or bead on its undersurface that is shaped complementary to the aperture. After initial opening, the container can be reclosed by returning the closure element to its original position such that the depending plug or bead tightly engages the dispensing aperture.
Although Waterbury's articulated closure element does allow a rimmed container to be reclosed after initial opening, consumers nevertheless find this general type of container to be objectionable for the following reasons. First, when such a container is returned to its upright position after a portion of the beverage has been dispensed, a residual amount of beverage is inevitably trapped between the dispensing aperture and the container's upstanding rim. Thereafter, this residual tends to spread out over the container's lid and, during storage, starts to collect dirt and dust. Furthermore, if the beverage is sweet such as fruit juice, the residual attracts insects. Second, the closure element does not prevent dirt and dust from contaminating the container's lid and rim in the area where a consumer's lips come into contact if the consumer drinks directly from the container. Finally, the friction fit between the closure's depending plug or bead and the aperture, which is the means for holding the closure element in its closed position, does not adequately prevent the closure element from popping out if the container is accidentally knocked over onto its side.
In light of the above, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a rimmed container with an easy-open feature that can be used to reclose the container for subsequent storage of any remaining beverage and, if applicable, will allow the container to be shaken in order to redistribute solids such as fruit pulp.
Another principal object of the present invention is to provide a rimmed container with a pouring lip/drain surface that channels the container's contents up and over the container's rim when the container is tipped for dispensing purposes, and also channels any residual product remaining on the pouring lip/drain surface back into the container via the dispensing aperture when the container is returned to its upright position.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rimmed container with a closure element that not only tightly closes the container's dispensing aperture, but also protects the container's lip-contacting surfaces, i.e. those surfaces that come into contact with a consumer's lips if the consumer drinks directly from the container, from dirt and other contaminants.
Another object of the present invention is to tightly secure a closure element in its reclosed position so that it will not readily pop out of the dispensing aperture and allow product to escape if the container is accidentally tipped over onto its side or gently shaken to redistribute solid particles such as fruit pulp.